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Psychology /2023-2025 Year 12 A-Level Psychology Attachment: Ainsworth’s Types Of Attachment

2023-2025 Year 12 A-Level Psychology Attachment: Ainsworth’s Types Of Attachment

Psychology50 CardsCreated 5 months ago

This flashcard set explores Ainsworth’s Types of Attachment through the Strange Situation study. It focuses on how this controlled observation was used to assess the strength and type of attachment between infants and their caregivers.

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What is the purpose of ‘the strange situation’ ?

To assess the strength / type of attachment

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Key Terms

Term

Definition

What is the purpose of ‘the strange situation’ ?

To assess the strength / type of attachment

‘The strange situation’ used what type of observational method?

Controlled observation

What was Ainsworth’s sample when testing the ‘strange situation’ ?

100 middle-class American infants and their mothers

AO3: In what TWO ways could we criticise Ainsworth’s sample?

Ethnocentric (only Americans)

AND

Gender bias (only us...

What four variables were measured in Ainsworth’s ‘strange situation’ ?

Willingness to Explore
Separation Anxiety
Stranger Anxiety
Reunion Behaviour

How did Ainsworth observe the children’s behaviour in each episode?

Through a two-way mirror

How many episodes were involved in the ‘strange situation’

7

How long did each episode last in Ainsworth’s strange situation?

3 minutes

What occurred in the first episode of the ‘strange situation’ ?

Parent enters room with the child, and the child explores for 3 mins

What was the first episode of ‘strange situation’ measuring?

Willingness to explore

What occurred in the second episode of the ‘strange situation’ ?

A stranger enters and joins the parent and infant and tries to interact with the child

What was the second episode of the ‘strange situation’ measuring?

Stranger anxiety

How was stranger anxiety measured in the ‘strange situation’ ?

Having a stranger enter the room

What occurred in the third episode of the ‘strange situation’

Parent leaves the infant with the stranger

What was the third episode of the ‘strange situation’ measuring?

Stranger and separation anxiety

What occurred in the fourth episode of the ‘strange situation’

Parent returns and the stranger leaves

How was reunion behaviour measured in the ‘strange situation’

By having the mother return

What occurred in the fifth episode of the ‘strange situation’

Parent leaves the child alone

What was the third episode of the ‘strange situation’ measuring?

Seperation anxiety

What is the difference between the 3rd episode and the 5th episode of the ‘strange situation’ ?

In episode 3 the child is with the stranger (measuring seperation + stranger anxiety)

W...

What occurred in the sixth episode of the ‘strange situation’

The stranger returns

What is the sixth episode of the ‘strange situation’ measuring?

Stranger anxiety

What occurred in the seventh episode of the ‘strange situation’ ?

Parent returns and stranger leaves

What was the seventh episode of the ‘strange situation’ measuring?

Reunion behaviour

“EP3 : The parent leaves the infant with the stranger”

What is this episode measuring?

Stranger and seperation anxiety

“EP1 : Parent enters the room with child, and the child explores”

What is this episode measuring?

Willingness to explore

What 3 types of attachment were identified in the ‘strange situation’ ?

Secure

Insecure avoidant

Insecure resistant

Describe a secure infants exploration behaviour

Willing to explore - but uses mother as secure base

Describe a secure infants reaction to separation

Upset / subdued when mother leaves

OR

High levels of seperation anxiety

Describe a secure infants reaction to a stranger when alone

Avoidant of stranger

OR

Shows high stranger anxiety

Describe a secure infants reaction to a stranger when with their caregiver

Friendly when caregiver present

Describe a secure infants reaction when reunited with their caregiver

Positive / happy with mother returns

What type of caregiver is associated with producing a securely attached infant?

Responsive

Describe an insecure-avoidant infants exploration behaviour

Willing to explore environment

Describe an insecure-avoidant infants reaction to seperation

Unconcerned by mothers absence

Describe an insecure-avoidant infants reaction to a stranger

Unconcerned, but often avoidant

Describe an insecure-avoidant infants reaction to reunion

Unresponsive / unconcerned

What type of caregiver is associated with producing an infant with an insecure-avoidant attachment type ?

Unresponsive

Describe an insecure-resistant infants exploration behaviour

Low willingness to explore

Describe an insecure-resistant infants reaction to seperation

Intensely distressed

OR

High seperation anxiety

Describe an insecure-resistant infants reaction to strangers

Extreme fear of strangers

OR

High stranger anxiety

Describe an insecure-resistant infants reaction to reunion

Clinginess mixed with rejection

What type of caregiver is associated with producing an infant with an insecure-resistant attachment type ?

Inconsistent

AO3: How could we criticise the method used by Ainsworth's ‘strange situation’

Lacks ecological validity

AO3: How could we praise the method used by Ainsworth's ‘strange situation’

High in reliability as standardised procedures

What 2 elements of Ainsworth's procedure is standardised?

The order of each episode

OR

The length of each episode (3 mins)

Which attachment type is unconcerned by a mothers absence?

Insecure-avoidant

Which attachment type is extremely fearful of strangers?

Insecure - resistant

Which attachment type would show positive behaviours when reunited with their mother

Secure

Which attachment type would display low willingness to explore their environment?

Insecure resistant

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2023-2025 Year 12 A-Level Psychology Attachment: Ainsworth’s Types Of Attachment

Term	Definition
What is the purpose of ‘the strange situation’ ?	To assess the strength / type of attachment
‘The strange situation’ used what type of observational method?	Controlled observation
What was Ainsworth’s sample when testing the ‘strange situation’ ?	100 middle-class American infants and their mothers
AO3: In what TWO ways could we criticise Ainsworth’s sample?	Ethnocentric (only Americans) AND Gender bias (only used mothers)
What four variables were measured in Ainsworth’s ‘strange situation’ ?	Willingness to Explore Separation Anxiety Stranger Anxiety Reunion Behaviour
How did Ainsworth observe the children’s behaviour in each episode?	Through a two-way mirror
How many episodes were involved in the ‘strange situation’	7
How long did each episode last in Ainsworth’s strange situation?	3 minutes
What occurred in the first episode of the ‘strange situation’ ?	Parent enters room with the child, and the child explores for 3 mins
What was the first episode of ‘strange situation’ measuring?	Willingness to explore
What occurred in the second episode of the ‘strange situation’ ?	A stranger enters and joins the parent and infant and tries to interact with the child
What was the second episode of the ‘strange situation’ measuring?	Stranger anxiety
How was stranger anxiety measured in the ‘strange situation’ ?	Having a stranger enter the room
What occurred in the third episode of the ‘strange situation’	Parent leaves the infant with the stranger
What was the third episode of the ‘strange situation’ measuring?	Stranger and separation anxiety
What occurred in the fourth episode of the ‘strange situation’	Parent returns and the stranger leaves
How was reunion behaviour measured in the ‘strange situation’	By having the mother return
What occurred in the fifth episode of the ‘strange situation’	Parent leaves the child alone
What was the third episode of the ‘strange situation’ measuring?	Seperation anxiety
What is the difference between the 3rd episode and the 5th episode of the ‘strange situation’ ?	In episode 3 the child is with the stranger (measuring seperation + stranger anxiety) WHEREAS In episode 5 the child is completely alone (only measuring seperation anxiety)
What occurred in the sixth episode of the ‘strange situation’	The stranger returns
What is the sixth episode of the ‘strange situation’ measuring?	Stranger anxiety
What occurred in the seventh episode of the ‘strange situation’ ?	Parent returns and stranger leaves
What was the seventh episode of the ‘strange situation’ measuring?	Reunion behaviour
“EP3 : The parent leaves the infant with the stranger” What is this episode measuring?	Stranger and seperation anxiety
“EP1 : Parent enters the room with child, and the child explores” What is this episode measuring?	Willingness to explore
What 3 types of attachment were identified in the ‘strange situation’ ?	Secure Insecure avoidant Insecure resistant
Describe a secure infants exploration behaviour	Willing to explore - but uses mother as secure base
Describe a secure infants reaction to separation	Upset / subdued when mother leaves OR High levels of seperation anxiety
Describe a secure infants reaction to a stranger when alone	Avoidant of stranger OR Shows high stranger anxiety
Describe a secure infants reaction to a stranger when with their caregiver	Friendly when caregiver present
Describe a secure infants reaction when reunited with their caregiver	Positive / happy with mother returns
What type of caregiver is associated with producing a securely attached infant?	Responsive
Describe an insecure-avoidant infants exploration behaviour	Willing to explore environment
Describe an insecure-avoidant infants reaction to seperation	Unconcerned by mothers absence
Describe an insecure-avoidant infants reaction to a stranger	Unconcerned, but often avoidant
Describe an insecure-avoidant infants reaction to reunion	Unresponsive / unconcerned
What type of caregiver is associated with producing an infant with an insecure-avoidant attachment type ?	Unresponsive
Describe an insecure-resistant infants exploration behaviour	Low willingness to explore
Describe an insecure-resistant infants reaction to seperation	Intensely distressed OR High seperation anxiety
Describe an insecure-resistant infants reaction to strangers	Extreme fear of strangers OR High stranger anxiety
Describe an insecure-resistant infants reaction to reunion	Clinginess mixed with rejection
What type of caregiver is associated with producing an infant with an insecure-resistant attachment type ?	Inconsistent
AO3: How could we criticise the method used by Ainsworth's ‘strange situation’	Lacks ecological validity
AO3: How could we praise the method used by Ainsworth's ‘strange situation’	High in reliability as standardised procedures
What 2 elements of Ainsworth's procedure is standardised?	The order of each episode OR The length of each episode (3 mins)
Which attachment type is unconcerned by a mothers absence?	Insecure-avoidant
Which attachment type is extremely fearful of strangers?	Insecure - resistant
Which attachment type would show positive behaviours when reunited with their mother	Secure
Which attachment type would display low willingness to explore their environment?	Insecure resistant